"In All My Ways"
Chapter 15: "A Straighter Path"
When Sano rushed Kenshin and Kaoru back to Tokyo, via that wolfish police-officer's coach, he handed them over into Megumi's care.
The little raccoon's injuries were minor compared to Sir Kenshin's, so Megumi let Doctor Gensai patch her up, and attended the wanderer herself. She examined him thoroughly and quickly and realized that he was bleeding internally. So she roped that stupid rooster-head into being her nurse, and she started surgery on him.
Watching Sanosuke's face through the ordeal, how pale and pinched it looked, made her admire the man somehow. He didn't complain about having to rummage around in another man's guts, using gauze to keep the bleeding to a minimum.
And his hands didn't shake, either, she was glad to note. And finally, the surgery was complete, and Kenshin had, so far, survived her ministrations.
So Megumi, mad-woman that she was, got Sano to be the blood donor now that he'd retired as "nurse."
"Megumi-san, you evil fox," he told her, as he watched his own blood go through a tube, finding its way into Kenshin's bloodstream. "The only way I'm going to forgive you is if poor Shin--Kenshin, lives after all of this."
Megumi patted his other arm, condescendingly. "Don't worry, rooster-brain. He'll live."
And she turned around, leaving the room to finally allow herself a chance to relax and wash up. She wouldn't let Sano see the tears of relief or the sigh she heaved as she turned her back to him and walked out.
----
When Kaoru woke up, she felt sore all over and... the memories that emerged also made her feel like a complete fool. Yet, all of those things were pushed out of her mind when she remembered Kenshin.
She jumped to her feet, took only the amount of time she needed to make sure that she was decent, and then hurried out of her room to find someone who knew how or where he was.
"Kaoru, you're up!" Yahiko exclaimed, when she'd made it to the main room.
"Where's Kenshin?" she demanded, ignoring his concerned look.
"He's in there," Yahiko pointed, brown eyes wide. "But Kaoru--!" She was already darting toward the guest room. "Wait!"
She saw why he'd warned her, when she entered, and had to catch herself on the door jamb. Kenshin was lying on a futon, pale and unconscious, and Sano was lying a little ways away, a red tube strung between them, gruesomely.
"S-Sano...?" she asked, weakly, and sank down to her knees. "Is he...?"
"Missy," Sano breathed, then shook his head, hurriedly, "He's just sleeping. He's recovering from the surgery that Megumi-san had to perform. She says he's going to be fine."
At those words, Kaoru swallowed and started crying out of relief. "Oh, thank God..."
"Uhm... ugly," Yahiko called from behind her. "Don't you want something to eat...?"
She looked back and up at him blankly and then smiled at him, tremulously. "Yes, of course... thank you, Yahiko."
'Kenshin's going to be okay!' the words rang in her mind, joyously. 'Kenshin's going to be okay!'
----
When Kenshin woke up, and Miss Megumi told him that he was going to be all right, but that he still needed to rest, Kenshin knew that he was never going to be the same man again.
Making that promise to Tomoe had certainly changed his life, but somehow, knowing that he'd been saved when everything in him had told him he was undeserving, was different.
Sano stayed with him for a while, as his blood donor, but then Megumi declared that his body was now strong enough to recover on its own, and Sano left to go rest up himself.
And when Megumi had made sure he'd eaten and was going to stay put until she said so, she also left. And that was when Miss Kaoru came in, shyly hanging back by the door.
"Please, Miss Kaoru, come and sit beside me," he called, and she smiled at him, and shut the door behind her then neared and kneeled next to his mat.
"How are you, Kenshin?" she asked, taking his hand in hers. "Your hand is so cold..." she murmured, and rubbed it between her own.
"I will recover, that I will," he answered, cheerily, and her blue eyes grew misty.
"I was afraid that I was going to lose you!" she declared, and his fingers tightened around hers, reassuringly.
"I will never leave you again, Kaoru," he promised her. "I realized something, when I feared for your own life. I love you..." Her eyes widened, and he continued, "Will you be my wife?"
"Oh, Kenshin!" she exclaimed, and then reigned herself in a bit. "I love you too. But... why me? I'm a horrible cook, I have an awful temper, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to make a terrible wife..."
He chuckled, placing a finger to her lips. "But you saved my life, Kaoru-san, that you did..."
She blushed and then wrapped her arms around his neck, spontaneously. "I will!"
"Miss Kaoru!" he exclaimed, and she backed away, biting her lip.
"What is it, what's wrong?"
He chuckled. "Please watch my injuries," he told her, and she paled. "It's all right, that it is."
"Awwww!" someone said from the doorway, and both Kaoru and Kenshin glanced guitily at whoever it was.
Sano stood behind his little brother, Yahiko, as they gawked at Kenshin and Kaoru's romantic moment. "Why you...!" Kaoru exclaimed. "I'm going to get the both of you!" she yelled, and went running after them, leaving her slightly bewildered, yet content, fiance behind.
----
Epilogue
Megumi wondered of Sanosuke, "So, will you do it?"
He frowned at her darkly, "And you're saying that it will bring in a lot of money? Enough to support Yahiko and to help out Kenshin and Kaoru too?"
Kenshin and Kaoru weren't married yet, but they would be soon. And as soon as they were married--well, almost as soon as they were married, Kaoru would probably get pregnant. They were going to need a little extra money to be able to raise a family.
Megumi nodded, and he scowled some more. "Oh, come on, rooster head!" she urged, "This isn't just for them, and you know it! You're good at this, and we make a great team!"
Sano smiled at her a bit, wondering, "You really think so, fox-lady?"
She nodded, giving him a direct stare. Sano thought about it some more until she thought she was going to burst with anticipation. "All right, Megumi!" he finally exclaimed, clenching his fist and holding it aloft. "I'll do it! I'll become a nurse!"
"Great!" Megumi exclaimed, "You'll never regret it!"
Sano smiled at her, and a moment later, Yahiko popped out of nowhere, teasing, "You're girly, big brother!"
Sano bopped him on the head, and retorted, "I don't call taking care of my family girly! I'm more man than some stupid fighter-for-hire would ever be!"
Megumi smiled proudly at her future pupil. "I believe you're finally starting to grow up, my dear rooster-skull."
He gave her a look, but then smiled wickedly. Her eyes widened in anticipation, knowing that lecherous look on his face for what it was. "Sano..." she warned, but the next thing she knew, he'd grabbed her and was kissing the daylights out of her.
"Ew," Yahiko complained, and went off to practice his katas or something.
When Sano finally released her, Megumi smacked him, and smiled at his groan. "Man, Megumi, I was just trying to show a little gratitude."
"Hmph," she returned, getting up from the porch and walking away. "Gratitude this, rooster head." And she showed him her back, as she sashayed away, proudly.
"Gotta love her," Sano murmured to himself, unable to keep from grinning. That was the crazy fox he was planning to marry one day.
Owari (The End)
Small A/N: This is the second version of this chapter. I left out a tinie detail that Miharu Kawashi pointed out. Thank you again, btw. (It was just an itty-bitty change. You might miss it.) And, also, I wanted to explain where I got the title from, since it's from a verse in the Bible that is pretty meaningful to me.
I memorized it when I was younger, (but have since forgotten it, although I basically know what it says, still.) So, in parting, here it is folks:
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
"In all they ways acknowledge him, and he shall (1) direct thy paths."
Proverbs 3: 5, 6 (KJV)
(1) Or make smooth or straight (note in Nelson Bible)